Dhanyawaad ( An Anidita Story )

Ch.13 Anirudh marries Bondita

All the people present there watched the girl's sindoor-filled hairline in shock.

"Anarth! Ghor anarth!" An elderly man shouted. "Vidhwa ki maang bhar di. Ek vidhwa se vivah kr lia isne. Yeh maanya nahi h. Bhala vidhwa dusra vivah kr sakti h. Tumhara vivah maanya nahi ho sakta."

"To aap kehna chahte h ki maang bharnese vivah hota h?" Anirudh asked.

"Haa!"

"To iss hisaab se dekha jaaye to ye ladki to vidhwa hui hi nahi. Kya uss buddhe aadmi ne fere poore kar liye tha? Kya sindurdaan hua tha? Kya mangalsutra pehnaya tha uss buddhe aadmi ne iss ladki ko? Nahi na! To fir vidhwa kaise hui ye." Anirudh argued.

All the villagers were silent at his tark. They were trapped in their own words.

"Aur jab ye vidhwa hi nahi hui to sati kyu hogi? Ab koi nahi karega isse sati."

Anirudh picked Bondita up from the ground. Sumati ran behind him. They went back to their house. The villagers and Bondita's mama also returned back as now there was no reason to go to an outsider's cremation.

Anirudh dropped Sumati off at her house. Mami came rushing there.

"Arrei kaha bhaag gyi- HEY DUGGA! Iss vidhwa ko yaha vapis le aaye." She cried in shock.

"VIDHWA- Vidhwa nahi h vo." Anirudh said while controlling his anger. He went inside the house and laid Bondita on the wooden cot kept in a corner. Then he came outside with Sumati. She tried to say something to him but he interrupted.

"Dekhiye mein ek barrister hu. Agar fir koi bhi apko ya apki beti ko daraane dhamkane ki koshish kare to aap iss pate pe ek sandesh bhijwa dijiyega. M aapki madad k liye jarur aaunga." He said, giving his card to her.

Inside, mami was thinking while looking at Bondita.

'Kya kismat paayi h. Buddhe se shadi hone se bach gayi. Vidhwa aur sati hone se bhi bach gayi. Aur kya abhi tak soyi padi h. Vaise to isse patte ke hilne ki aahat bhi pata lag jati h. Hey bhagwan maine itni dawai daal di thi kheer m, kahi sach m mar to nahi gyi ye ladki.' She came near her to check her. But at that instant, she noticed something that she did not see outside due to panic and the darkness. She saw Bondita's sindoor filled hairline. With wide eyes, she stood there looking at it.

"Iska- iska to sindurdaan hua hi nahi tha, to iski maang m ye sindur kaha se aaya." She whispered to herself, terrified.

She hurried outside to ask Sumati and the young man but saw something even shocking. The man was trying to leave, but all the villagers, even her husband, had circled around his car to stop him from leaving.

Anirudh looked at them, confused. Bondita's mama shouted.

"Meri bhanji se vivah krke usse yaha chhodke aap kaha jaa rahe h jamai babu." He said in a taunting voice. "Abhi to vivah ki sari rasme bhi poori nahi hui aur apne uske sar chhodi hui aurat ka dhabba laga dia."

Anirudh got off his car.

"Ye kya bakwas kar rahe h aap." He shouted.

"Bakwas? Mein bakwas nahi kar raha hu jamai babu. Kya apne sindoor nahi bhara Bondita ki maang mein? Aap hi ne to chilla chilla ke kaha tha- ye meri patni h. Bhul gaye kya?" Mama told him.

"Vo maine sirf ap logo ko usse sati karne se rokne ke liye kiya tha."

"Jamai babu, chahe jis bhi karan kiya ho vivah to vivah hi hota h. Ya sirf mahaan banneke liye apne meri bhanji ki zindagi barbaad kr di. Aap hi ne kaha na vidhwa nahi h Bondita, to iska matlab apka aur uska vivah maanya h aur agar ye vivah maanya nahi to iska matlab to yhi hua ki Bondita vidhwa hi h."

"Ha ha. Aap bilkul sahi keh rahe h." The villagers encouraged her mama.

Anirudh was now in a dilemma. These people had trapped him in his own words. If he stayed he would have to marry the girl. If not, they will burn her alive.

The villagers circled around him now, leaving the car.

"Arrey aise hi koi bhi thodi na humare gaav ki ladki se vivah karke yu chhod k chala jayega." One villager shouted. "Ha, ha, bhai kal ke din to aise log humari sari behn betiyo ke sath yahi karenge. " Another one said. "Humare gaon ko chhodi hui aurato ka gaav kaha jayega. Tawaif bana k rakh denge humare gaon ki ladkiyo ko." Another man shouted from the crown gathered around Anirudh.

"Agar vivah kiya h to apnana hi hoga." A man said.

"Ha ha, vivah manna hi hoga." Another person said.

"Ha, agar ye vivah nahi karta h uss ladki se to le aao usse bahar. Abhi usse sati hona padega." Someone said.

"Nahi! Nahi!" Sumati came rushing to Anirudh and fell on his feet. "Iss tarah meri beti ko mat chhodiye. Usse apna lijiye. Main apke hath jodti hu jamai babu."

Anirudh had no choice. He had to sit down in front of the holy pyre for the marriage ceremony. His each word was ringing in his ears.

'ARREY CHAYA TO SIRF ROSHNI MEIN SATH DETI HAIN, LEKIN MAIN ANIRUDH ROY CHOWDHARY ANDHAKAR MEIN BHI ISKA SATH DUNGA.'

'YE MERI PATNI HEIN. AB KOI HATH LAGAKE DIKHAYE ISSE.'

'JO MAIN KEHNA CHAHTA HU TUMSE, AUR JO TUM SUNNA CHAHTI HO MUJHSE, USKI GAWAH BANEGI AAJ KI RAAT.'

He looked like a zombie, a turmoil going inside his mind.

Inside the house, Bondita had woke up but she was not completely conscious. Her head felt heavy and vision was blurred. She looked around and saw a lady coming towards her. As she got closer, Bondita could make out the face of her mami. Her mami tidied her sari and held her hand. She brought her outside to the pidhi and made her sit on it with two betel leaves in her hands. The pidhi was carried out to the mandap where her groom, Anirudh was sitting.

They carried her around Anirudh 7 times and held the pidhi infront of him.

Bondita slowly removed the betel leaves from her face. Her vision had adjusted a bit by now. Her eyes widened when she saw the familiar face in her groom's place. Like flash, her eyes went back to their usual low, cold stare.

'Ye ladka. Mera vivah isse ho raha h. Kya ye mujhe pehchan pa rha h. Lagta to nahi h.' She thought. She noticed her groom thoroughly. He looked half dead and lost somewhere.

'Kuch to baat h. Ye iss tarah yaha aise baitha h jaise kisine banduk ki nok pe vivah karwaya ho. Aur iske pariwar ka bhi koi sadasya yaha nahi h. Aur mera vivah to din m hona tha. Ye raat kaise ho gyi. Kuch gondogol to hua h.' Bondita thought.

"Var aur vadhu maala bodol ke liye khade ho jaaye." The priest said.

They stood up. The garlands were brought in front of them. Anirudh stared at the garland blankly, not moving an inch while Bondita was watching his every moment. Bondita's mama, who was standing apart from them, tauntingly said," Lagta h man badal gaya iss mahaan aatma ka."

Anirudh heard it and in a glimpse picked up the garland and put in around Bondita's neck while giving a deadly stare to her mama. Bondita picked up the garland to put it around Anirudh's neck, who was lost in his own thoughts. Although Bondita was pretty tall for a girl, Anirudh was a bit more taller than her. The topor worn on his head added to the height. Bondita was unable to put the garland around his neck. When he didn't respond, she got a bit closer to him and kicked on his ankle harshly, making him bend down and put the garland in his neck.

The rest of the rituals happened one after the other. The couple took the oaths and completed the pheras. Anirudh filled her hairline with sindur once again and tied a mangalsutra around her neck. With all the rituals completed , the priest finally anounced

"Vivah sampann hua. Ab aap dono pati patni h aur janam janam ke liye sathi ban chuke h."